Public vs Private?

I created this site in 2008. I was shown uncommon kindness by SGI members in Hawaii, Portland and Florida as I traveled the country. At the time it wasn't easy to connect with SGI members, as I traveled, so I created this website.

Soon hundreds of people started showing up and I realized it was an awesome chance for Kosen Rufu and asked Dan to help. He found some great people to admin and it has been a great experience ever since. I have never asked for financial help nor have I emailed you very often. My goal has always been to introduce as many people as possible to SGI.

Today, not many people show up because the entire site is hidden and blocked from the the public because of the settings we have selected. I would like to go back to how it used to be and have it show up in searches. That's the contribution I had always intended to make - introducing more people to SGI Buddhism.

To that end I'm seeking comments. If you don't care. do nothing. If you do, please let me know. If you have concerns or need help making your profile or posts private just let me know. Everyone has teh ability to make their own profile or posts private.

Replies to This Discussion

:) Hi Chuck. Cyber-trolls are damaged or perverse guys who like to make trouble, argue, and abuse people. They usually "sneak" into a chat "room" or forum and start gradually cyber-bullying their way into as many off-topic rants as possible. Some folks think that some trolls are paid "agent provocateurs" working for organizations devoted to disrupting a group or "enemy" org. "Flame war" is an ancient term (from the 90s) for ridiculously emotional verbals battles via texting on forums & chat threads. It's often based on misunderstandings, misinterpretation, misconception, and/or perverse attitudes. It also very often comes from emotionally immature people with little experience in cyber-chats and forums devoted to what can seem highly "charged" or controversial topics -- like religious doctrine or dogma, non-mainstream spirituality, etc. As i tried to express, for me the benefit of a private discussion forum for SGI members makes sense mostly for members like me, who live in a remote location, with no way to interact or practice with other SGI members. As Chris implied, his business/work involved lots of travel and lots of time away from his home district (and culture center?), and other members. An online member network makes perfect sense to me, as long as it serves the purpose without exposing anyone to more trouble than its worth. Am i making sense now? Do you See what i mean Chuck? I hope this helps put all the other comments in perspective - in a new more clearly focused light. Best of True Love, Joy, and Victory! NMRK, NMRK...

So how you do you think its going so far as an open forum?I'm looking at have both private and public forums now. Please message me or call me if you see anything I need to get to right away. I think being active on the forums with replies so the conversaion doesnt wonder off topic is important. Would love to hear your thoughts.

Just so I can be sure that I understand what's going on - an open forum means anyone can go to sgibuddhism.net and see all the pages that are public and also respond there even if they are not members of sgibuddhism.net or of SGI, but they could not initiate a conversation or whatever? Is that correct? But as for 'private' that means the page is closed to everyone unless they are specifically identified by the originator of the page as someone allowed to respond to the page, or, maybe it's like FB where (as I understand it) you can have 'friends' and then others (that you have not allowed as 'friend') could not see the page or respond in any way? Is that correct? Is that how it works?

My plan as of now is to expand into this social media world only here at SGIBuddhism.net or to expand into social media only by way of G + -- because thats the only thing (of FB and Twitter, etc.) of which I am a member (and I like Google). If it happens that I become a traveling man again (as I was when I originally joined some years ago), then I would like to be set up to become active in SGIBuddhism.net but otherwise I am busy enough with local SGI District (Champion District Albany Oregon in the Oregon Region, Eugene branch).

What I wonder is if you would be interested in some district(s) posting news or fotos that might be of interest in somewhat wider geographical area (world-wide?) and if you allow a district as such to join and do a page of our own. I'm actually not sure if my district would be interested ... or actually if anyone has time enough to do that sort of thing? There are youngsters in the district who are amazingly handy with internet (FB, G +, Twitter, etc.)

Thank you for your time. Don't feel obliged to respond to this message if you are busy. Maybe just daimoku is all we need (like "all you really need is love" as John Lennon expressed it). NMRK

We will be public in two weeks. I think it would be great for Districts to post their updates and information.

They could create a profile or group for their district and use it to post events etc.

Public = anyone that goes to the page can read what is on the page. Private= This is a setting that each individual member can choose by clicking on setting in the top right area under their name. This relates to how this conversation started. The site is now public, meaning we don't mark 100% or everything private.

Instead, each profile, post, picture or video is able to be viewed based on what the person who has posted it has selected. As a member you can choose:

1) Public - anyone can read your profile or what you post.

2) Private - You choose whether this means only other members can read it or make it more restrictive to only people you have made a friend on the site.

Chris, Thanks for the update. I was under the impression that a Ning.com network could be a "private" members only social net. If you are right, and anybody can see posts that aren't deliberately made "private" by the member posting it, then I guess I think it may be a bad idea. Now, however, that's not the only reason but, since this is not a private open forum, I won't say what the other reasons are.

I'm not an SGI member ....yet but am truly grateful that I was able to find this website and have the opportunity to reach out to other people with the same interests as me.

I started studying Buddhism loosely about four years ago quite by chance really. I had overcame many obstactles in my life and thought I had my immediate future sussed out. I then gradually became very Ill with digestive and bowel issues that took a long time to get diagnosed. I had much time house bound and ill with endless time on my hands and I started indulging my love of reading. I had really hit rock bottom be the time I was diagnosed and had seriously (and very secretively) given suicide a lot of thought. I was mid 30's and becoming faecally incontinent and in serious pain without end. I started reading all kinds of stuff to try and keep my mood and mind alert and positive and tried a book on Buddhism.

A few books later and by change I came across a book about Nichiren Buddhism. I devoured it and immediately googled and found good stuff and really crazy cult stuff. I contact SGI - UK to find all the centres in England!!!! I have found SGI in Scotland but there really isn't much growth here so this website truly is vital Chris. Without this I would have become unmotivated easily and also I would have missed out on some truly precious encounters with other website members.

Tanya - Thanks for sharing and for your courage and commitment to Life. I second your encouragement to Chris & the rest of us here. I certainly share your clearly deep appreciation and gratitude for this SGI Buddhist network - for much the same reasons. I would be very much more stressed and possibly more discouraged without it. Without my new online SGI friends and the wonderful posts we find here it would be much harder to stay fully encouraged -- out here in this poor rural part of the Colorado Rockies.